Tuesday, March 01, 2011

MACON, Ga. - The 2011 General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Basketball Championships gets underway on Wednesday as top-seeded ETSU takes on Lipscomb at noon, while No. 2 seed Stetson faces Kennesaw State at 6:30 p.m. Day two of quarterfinals games begin on Thursday as River City rivals, UNF and Jacksonville square off in opening game and Campbell and Belmont conclude the women's action for the night at 6:30 p.m.

After taking the past three Atlantic Sun Conference Women’s Basketball Championships, ETSU enters the 2011 edition as the top-seed in the tournament and a chance to tie Florida International (1992-95) for most consecutive championships at four after posting a 15-5 conference mark. With the past four top-seeds earning the A-Sun Championships, ETSU has more than history on its side with seniors Tara Davis and Latisha Belcher leading the way for the Bucs. Davis posted 11 20-point games this season, second in the conference, en route to averaging 15.3 points per outing, while adding 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals. Belcher finished the season strong with four double-doubles in February to finish A-Sun play averaging 8.4 points and 8.3 boards per league contest.

Four Hatters enter the Atlantic Sun Championship averaging double-digit in points led by sophomore Victoria McGowan (14.1), while seniors Tierra Brown (13.5), Jessica Conner (11.1) and Natasha Graboski (10.2) add their offensive game as well. All four players averaged more points in conference play, where the Hatters went 13-7 to propel themselves to the two-seed. Coach Lynn Bria’s team comes in hot to the tournament winning six of their last seven games to secure the most successful season for the Hatters in the past decade.

Last season, the Ospreys charged to the A-Sun Championship Finals as the seven seed in the tournament before ETSU posted a one-point victory against UNF. Coach Mary Tappemeyer and the Ospreys started their run by upsetting two seed and host Mercer before downing River City rival, Jacksonville, in the semifinals. With a potential rematch with ETSU in the semifinals, Brittany Kirkland and UNF first must survive a showdown with the Dolphins, who UNF swept in the regular season.

For the second-straight season, Campbell enters the tournament as the three seed after a 12-8 A-Sun season, which included a seven-game winning streak in the month of January. Sophomore guard Tonisha Baker is the only Camel to average double figures in points at 11.9, but she is supported by six players that average at least five points per game. Campbell wrapped up the regular season in impressive fashion scoring victories against ETSU and USC Upstate by an average of 15.5 points.

First-year head coach Brittney Ezell guided Belmont to victories in the final two regular season games against Kennesaw State and Mercer to clinch the six seed. Ezell succeeded the two-time A-Sun Coach of the Year Tony Cross, who led the Bruins program for 25 years, after his retirement last season. Cross didn’t leave the cupboard bare as junior post player Haley Nelson picked up team-highs in points and rebounds in the final two games of the season. Nelson, who has missed seven games this season, averaged 13.4 points and 8.1 rebounds for the Bruins, while freshman Molly Ernst and senior Shaunda Strayhorn added 10.1 and 8.2 to the Belmont offensive attack.

For six-straight years now the Jacksonville Dolphins and head coach Jill Dunn appear in the A-Sun Basketball Championship and picked up first-round victories in the past four tournaments including a six-point victory over third-seeded Campbell last year. As the five-seed, Jacksonville must snap a four-game losing streak to rivals, UNF, when they square off on Thursday. Five players average at least eight points per outing for the Dolphins led by senior Taneskei Richardson’s 11.4 average and GiGi Thomas’ 10.4.

After making their debut in the A-Sun Championship last season and bowing out in the quarterfinals, Kennesaw State returns as the seven seed looking to earn their first A-Sun Championship game win. Angie Smith, Sametria Gideon and Ashley Holliday lead the Owls’ attack with all three averaging double digits in conference games. A rebounding machine, the six-foot Gideon registered two 20-rebound games this season, while Smith and Holliday attacked from the perimeter where the duo combined to hit 93 trifectas on the season.

Lipscomb and Head Coach Frank Bennett missed out on the A-Sun Championship last year, but snuck into this year’s field as the eight seed. Jenna Bartsokas and Anna Bowers shoulder most of the scoring responsibilities for the Lady Bisons as the duo combine to average 27.8 points per game and tallied game-highs for points in 24 of the 29 games. However, the recent surge of Valerie Bronson gives Lipscomb potential for a run in their comeback appearance.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts five of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.